I've posted before about the Institute of Religion class that I take each week. Our instructor, Sally Wyne, is a neighbor and friend. She taught various religion classes at BYU for years and now volunteers in the Hosting Department at the Church Office Building. She helps organize tours for dignitaries and VIPs who come to visit church officials in Salt Lake. Anyway, she teaches a 90 minute class each week at our church building for our class of about 65. Each year, she teaches something different and I have taken her class for over a decade. We have studied The Book of Mormon, The Old Testament, The Teachings of the Living Prophets (the biographies and teachings of the First Presidency and the Council of the 12 Apostles), The History of the Church, etc. This year, we are studying part of The New Testament. Next year, we will study Acts through Revelation, so, this year, our focus is on the Four Gospels and the life of Christ. Rather than study many of the same stories in each of the Four Gospels four times, we are using James E. Talmage's Jesus The Christ as our backbone and then studying from the Bible as well.
It has been a great year (we hold class from September through May) and I have learned so much about our beloved Savior and His teachings. Learning more about the customs and traditions in place during His life has helped me to understand His teachings better and to realize more about the significance of the things He did and said.
Anyway, while we were in Hawaii, Sally texted and asked me to substitute teach our class so that she could attend her granddaughter's wedding in Arizona. Usually, when Sally needs a substitute, she asks her daughter Maria (who is also an amazing teacher), but Maria would be attending the wedding as well, so, they needed someone else. Of course I immediately said "yes" because I love Sally and her family and I want her to be able to go to the wedding. However, after that, I was sitting by the pool, watching Reagan and Cole swim, and my mind began to swirl. "What was I thinking? .... I am not qualified for this!!!!" Gulp. Oh well, I said yes, so, I'd better get on board.
I re-read the Chapter in Jesus the Christ that we would be learning about as well as the related chapter in the commentary book and I re-read the parts in the Bible about the time period we were learning about. I met with Sally and she gave me her Powerpoint which I thought would be really helpful. The problem was, her outline and pictures and notes on the Powerpoint all refer to knowledge SHE has, not knowledge I have. Yes, there were some quotes and scriptural references, but most of the outline meant nothing to me. Luckily, she let me borrow 4 or 5 books and she referred me to 5 or 6 conference talks that helped me come up to speed. Basically, we were talking about Christ's triumphal entry back into Jerusalem and the holy days and festivals that took place during that time (we actually reviewed each of the Jewish holy days from Passover to the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, the Feast of Tabernacles) as well as the story of the women taken in adultery, the story of the healing of the man who was blind from birth, and the idea of Christ as our shepherd.
I spent the better part of two days researching all that I could find about these things. I wrote pages and pages of notes and reviewed the videos depicting these events in Christ's life.
By the morning of our class, I was really nervous - after all, 90 minutes is a long class. The class members were really kind to me and I think the class went well. I have SO much more respect for Sally now. When I think of all the time, effort and work that I put in just for one class, I can't believe that she does this every week. She is amazing and I'm so glad that she learns everything and then puts it into bitesize pieces for me to learn. As is the case when you give a presentation or a talk or something, you learn more than anyone in the class. As a result, I am very grateful for the opportunity to substitute teach our class.
One of the things I learned more about was the idea of Christ as our shepherd. I've grown up knowing about the difference between a sheepherder and a shepherd. Sheepherders drive the sheep while shepherds lead the sheep - they call to them and the sheep know their voice and follow, sheepherders know how many sheep they have in a flock while shepherds know each sheep by name and they love them, and sheepherders are hired help while the shepherd owns the sheep. Well, in studying for this class, I learned much more and grew to appreciate our Savior as our shepherd. The sheepherder climbs over the fence to gain access to the sheep while the shepherd enters at the gate, the sheepherder flees at the first sign of danger while the shepherd stands ready to defend the sheep. I read a talk by Elder John R. Lasater called Shepherds of Israel. He recounts a visit he had made to Morocco as part of an official US Government delegation. His group was traveling in five separate limousines. He was in the third limo and the first and second had stopped by the time his car arrived. There was quite a commotion going on. He quickly determined that the King's limo (the first car) had struck a lamb crossing the road. His interpreter explained to him that the law was quite clear. The shepherd was entitled to 100 times the value of the lamb at maturity. However, the law also provided that the lamb should be sacrificed and the meat given to the people of the land. The interpreter explained "But the old shepherd will not accept the money. They never do." When Elder Lasater, startled, asked why, the interpreter replied "Because of the love he has for each of his sheep." He watched as the shepherd reached down and picked up the lamb and tucked him into a large pocket on the front of his robe. He kept stroking its head and repeating the same word again and again. Elder Lasater asked what the word meant and the interpreter informed him "Oh, he is calling it by name. All of his sheep have a name, for he is their shepherd, and the good shepherds know each one of their sheep by name." The money was refused and the old shepherd moved off into the Moroccan dessert. As the limos began to move again, his interpreter explained more of the traditions and practices of the Moroccan shepherds. He informed him that each evening, the shepherds bring their small flocks of sheep to a common enclosure where they can be protected against wolves, etc. A single shepherd then is employed to guard the gate until morning. Then, the shepherds come to the enclosure one by one and call forth their sheep by name. The sheep will not listen to the voice of a stranger, but will leave the enclosure only in the care of their true shepherd, confident and secure because the shepherd knows their names and they know his voice. Elder Lasater then quoted John Chapter 10 "But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers."
Next, I began to think of me ... and all of us. Do I (and do we) listen for the voice of our beloved shepherd? Do we follow Him and trust Him enough to leave our enclosure? Then, I began to think of us as shepherds of those in our little flocks - our children, those we are called to teach, our fellowmen, etc. Do we know those in our stewardship by name? Do we call to them individually? Do we protect them? Do we love them? I remember when I was younger, learning about how Christ would leave the 90 and 9 to rescue the one lost sheep. When I was younger, I sort of didn't like this story. I felt like he was abandoning the 99 to rescue one who maybe didn't follow directions or who maybe was messing around and not paying attention. As I grew, I realized that we are all - eventually - the one, lost sheep. As I became aware of this, I became so grateful and blessed that He would leave the 90 and 9 and come to rescue me, lost and alone, maybe not following directions or not paying attention, but certainly lost and definitely without my shepherd. I'm so glad that he comes - always - to rescue me.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have had to be in Sally's class and even for the terrifying opportunity to substitute teach the class. I'm grateful for all that I learn in studying the scriptures and in learning more about Christ. It makes me love, honor and appreciate Him even more.
